What a Semana Santissima!

Ok so Holy Week was this last week, and here that is like the equivalent of Spring Break for the whole country.  Imagine a whole country on vacation!  Everyone spends time with family and goes to the Hot springs, the beach or the river "to bathe" aka to swim.  I too joined this Honduran Vacaition madness, accompanied by my brother Nathan, who came in from DC to visit!   We had some great times...
Snorkeling and seeing amazing amazing coral reefs in Utila, 
         

 

   

Going toCopan to visit the Mayan Ruinas, to go Horseback riding and to visit with some friends from Tegucigalpa

 

And Coming back to Santa Rosa to experience the amazing traditions of Holy week, including:

The Sawdust Carpets for the Way of the Cross

  the veneration of Jesus hung on the cross, the procession of the holy burial,  and the procession of the mourning of Mary

However awesome all everything was, one of the best parts this week, was on Holy Saturday, going to a tiny tiny town in the middle of nowhere that has no electricity.  We had the opportunity to go with the bishop and the sisters for the Bishop's pastoral visit.  It was amazing to see the faith so alive in these people who live in the middle of nowhere, and that they came from their houses some hours away just to sing, celebrate, and have communion with the Bishop.  They were all so generous, even making food for all of us visitors.  It was cool to see how much Monseñor Luis (the bishop) is a Bishop of the pueblo (for the people) because he loved them, and also just how genuinely they also loved him.  

Finally the culmination of the week came to the celebration of the Easter vigil mass, with a dramatization of jesus breaking out of a tomb they had constructed behind the altar!  
 

Unfortunately we were to tired to stay up to see the races of St John and St Peter Easter Morning, between 4 and 6 am they run with the statues of the saints all over town for two hours just like Peter and John ran to tell Mary Jesus was risen. oh well. After an excursion to Gracias, Me and Nathan finished off the trip sitting listening to some old men play Marimba music late Easter Sunday in front of the Cathedral para toda la gente (for all the people). It was a blessed week and I'm so glad I got to spend it with my brother!